tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46430501377812179572017-08-03T21:25:52.429-05:00Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist MovementThis blog is the homepage of the Rio Grande Valley chapter of the Zeitgeist Movement. Contact us at RGVZGM@gmail.com!Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-48388771862373309042017-07-09T00:25:00.000-05:002017-07-09T00:25:05.607-05:00In All Seriousness - Episode 1<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vCBiTaV-SOY" width="560"></iframe>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030399000000003 -98.932394800000012 26.940123 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-29538089475262580932017-05-02T01:50:00.000-05:002017-05-02T01:50:38.558-05:00Peter Joseph "Train of Thought" and Q & A Session | ZDAY 2017 Australia [The Zeitgeist Movement] - YouTube<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rBt398l2c84" width="560"></iframe>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030399000000003 -98.932394800000012 26.940123 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-5570722260832760762015-03-05T16:26:00.003-06:002015-03-05T16:26:18.188-06:00Z-Day 2015The Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement will host its annual Z-Day event on Sunday March 15, 2015 at the Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library from 1:30 to 4:30 PM. This is concert with the global Zeitgeist Movement &nbsp;effort to engage the community at large with our train of thought on helping to make the world a better place for all people.<br /><br />We will be screening documentary films, presenting information about a resource based economy and discussing the root causes and potential solutions to many significant social ills that face us as a global family. Please join us!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NcsQBQGg2_A/VPjX8Wm6WFI/AAAAAAAAD64/9uP5yabmHyc/s1600/RGVZGM%2BZ-Day%2B2015%2BPoster%2Bv2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NcsQBQGg2_A/VPjX8Wm6WFI/AAAAAAAAD64/9uP5yabmHyc/s1600/RGVZGM%2BZ-Day%2B2015%2BPoster%2Bv2.png" height="640" width="412" /></a></div><br />Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030399000000003 -98.932394800000012 26.940123 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-9533463727805910712014-04-17T03:29:00.000-05:002014-04-17T03:29:10.800-05:00We Recently Lost An AllyI'm saddened to report that Michael Ruppert, one of the most ardent and active voices for change of the last few decades, recently committed suicide. This is the full interview he conducted with Peter Joseph for the Zeitgeist: Moving Forward film, released in honor of his life and his memory. There is little that can be said of Michael beyond the plain facts of his life's work, helping to make the world a better place for all people and the commitment to pursuing the truth, no matter where it lead or what conclusions were drawn from it. Let this be a reminder that we should not take each other for granted, and to utilize the time we are granted with wisdom and care in the endeavor of changing the zeitgeist towards a positive and sustainable future for all.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ZwysfmKNNkQ" width="480"></iframe>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030399000000003 -98.932394800000012 26.940123 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-82284025826153269472014-03-25T01:17:00.000-05:002014-03-25T01:17:29.594-05:00ZDay 2014 Event Videos Now AvailableWe would like to thank everyone who participated in and attended our recent Zday 2014 event. The global Zeitgeist Movement continues to be one of the most anticipated and significant events of the year for ours and many other chapters around the world. We are glad to see new members of the community attend and connect with us and other activists and educators in our area, and look forward to the new and exciting projects and events we can plan and attend together. Below, you will find the videos of the presentations that were given at our local event. I hope you watch them and learn more about the possibilities and importance of transitioning to a resource based economy. We look forward to upcoming opportunities to share this train of thought with more people, and we hope to see you there too!<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLKBV5uiVFLGm1PXbsY92HlpHe7q8VprcV" width="560"></iframe>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030399000000003 -98.932394800000012 26.940123 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-43220396004491399712014-03-15T03:32:00.002-05:002014-03-15T03:32:15.732-05:00Z-Day 2014 EventWe will be holding our Z-Day 2014 event, full of presenters from the local community, at the Edinburg public library. Come join us for hours of information sharing and community engagement with the people and ideas that encourage the transition to a resource based economy. I look forward to seeing you there!<br /><div><br /></div><div>When: March 15, 2014</div><div>Where:&nbsp;Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library,&nbsp;1906 South Closner Blvd, Edinburg, TX</div><div>Time: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM</div><div>Who: Frank Flores, John-Michael Torres, Ismael Melendez, Armando Lopez</div><div><br /></div><div>For those unable to make it out to our event or any other Z-Day event in your location, the main event in Toronto will be live streamed <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tzm-toronto" target="_blank">here</a>. You can also see it embedded below.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for your ongoing interest and support in helping to make the world a better place for all people!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="302" scrolling="no" src="http://www.ustream.tv/embed/17420168?v=3&amp;wmode=direct" style="border: 0px none transparent;" width="480"> </iframe> <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/" style="background: #ffffff; color: black; display: block; font-size: 10px; font-weight: normal; padding: 2px 0px 4px; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; width: 400px;" target="_blank">Live streaming video by Ustream</a>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-38942552464191418742014-01-24T19:28:00.003-06:002014-01-24T19:28:29.819-06:00Two AnnouncementsThe Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement is happy to announce that the city of Brownsville now has a local chapter of the Zeitgeist Movement! We have always wanted to better serve the community of Brownsville, but were unable to do so. We are fortunate that local member <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jnberlanga" target="_blank">Juan Berlanga</a> has taken the initiative of forming a local chapter. You can join them on their new <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/241708372674651/" target="_blank">Facebook group</a> and start planning to engage the local community and help make the world a better place for all people.<br /><br />Speaking of planning, our local <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1376183362643810" target="_blank">Z-Day 2014</a> event is beginning to take shape! Our local event will tentatively be held at the Edinburg city library on Saturday, March 15th. We are announcing a request for presentations. If you have a 15-20 minute presentation regarding a resource based economy, or any topic related to it or the local community of the Rio Grande Valley, please contact us at RGVZGM@gmail.com and submit your ideas. We look forward to seeing all of the creative communications and ideas from our local activist community and hope to see you in attendance! We will share more details as the event planning unfolds. Thank you for your time and attention.Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX, USA26.3017374 -98.16334319999998626.074073900000002 -98.486066699999981 26.5294009 -97.840619699999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-15357985655499913782013-11-12T01:26:00.002-06:002013-11-12T01:26:50.623-06:00Social Meet UpThe Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement is holding a social gathering and meet up this Saturday at MoonBeans Coffee in McAllen on Saturday. We will be discussing a resource based economy, the trending bitcoin phenomenon, NSA spying revelations, and other topics of interest. Come join us!<br /><br />Where: Moonbean's Coffee,&nbsp;5401 N. 10th St., Suite 102, McAllen, Texas 78504<br />When: Saturday, November 16, 2013, 7:00 PMFrank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030399000000003 -98.932394800000012 26.940123 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-65088016100557502052013-08-09T16:16:00.000-05:002013-08-09T16:16:23.182-05:00Announcing Our Upcoming MeetingsThe Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement will hold a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/524576694282195/" target="_blank">general meeting</a> on Saturday, August 10th at the Edinburg Public Library, from 11:30 to 2:30. We will be meeting new members, discussing recent Zeitgeist Movement events and planning and preparing for upcoming actions, events and meetings. We hope to see you there!<br /><br />In addition, there has been another <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/499194650154835/" target="_blank">event</a> scheduled on Saturday, August 17th at the MoonBeans Coffee shop in Mcallen at 6pm. This event was scheduled independently by a new member and I am personally grateful for the initiative and effort demonstrated by this action. I look forward to attending!Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030399000000003 -98.932394800000012 26.940123 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-36452850027969965242013-05-01T22:31:00.000-05:002013-05-01T22:31:18.443-05:00Culture in Decline Episode 5 Released<a href="https://www.facebook.com/peterjosephofficial" target="_blank">Peter Joseph</a>'s latest episode of <a href="http://www.cultureindecline.com/" target="_blank">Culture In Decline</a> is now available on&nbsp;YouTube. This installment covers the distinct culture of fear manifested by our sick society and points out the economic and political mechanisms that give rise to this multifaceted phenomenon. The numbers detailing the historical incarceration trends are shocking. Please be sure to check it out so that you can live in a little bit less fear, and help make the world a better place for all people. <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IeswJY0o2uA?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030403 -98.932394800000012 26.940119000000003 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-45205876476448140362013-04-24T01:42:00.000-05:002013-04-24T01:42:55.485-05:00Attending the Environmental Awareness Club's Earthfest 2013 EventThe <a href="http://eacutpa.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Environmental Awareness Club</a> of <a href="http://www.utpa.edu/" target="_blank">UTPA</a> is hosting a series of events for this Earth Week, and has graciously invited the Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement to attend their Earth Fest event! On Thursday, April 25th, from 12 to 1, we will tabling at their information area on the UTPA Library lawn. We will be distributing information about the <a href="http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/" target="_blank">Zeitgeist Movement</a>, giving the <a href="http://oneplanetproject.net/" target="_blank">One Planet Project</a> quiz, and engaging the community with the ideas of a resource based economy and a better world for all people. As we celebrate and contemplate the only planet that the entire human family shares, it is imperative that we recognize the major factors affecting the&nbsp;environment&nbsp;and our society as a whole and work to address them with technical solutions that we have available. We are thankful for the EAC for the invitation, and we hope to see you there!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/559012390806402/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/cb738bf2afce8853e3d9a8fecf47a646/tumblr_mle281NsDo1qhd9cqo1_1280.png" width="486" /></a></div><br />Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030403 -98.932394800000012 26.940119000000003 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-24461274571558772212013-04-05T05:16:00.002-05:002013-04-05T05:16:31.330-05:00Z-Day 2013 LA Main Event Videos Now AvailableThe Zeitgeist Movement recently held their 5th annual Z-Day main event in Los Angeles. While the event was live streamed, many people were not able to view it at that time. Fortunately, the event was recorded in high quality video and is now fully available for all to see. Please check out these interesting speakers and their remarkable insights into culture, the economy, education, science, social movements and our continuing efforts to help make the world a better place for all people!<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLKBV5uiVFLGlgQoTeCXTVhqiCld6wkL7A" width="560"></iframe>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030403 -98.932394800000012 26.940119000000003 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-64231380783469330522013-03-02T19:32:00.002-06:002013-03-02T19:32:20.041-06:00Announcing Our 2013 Z-Day EventThe&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/104806154960630578067" target="_blank">+Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement</a>&nbsp;will be holding its annual <a href="http://www.zdayglobal.org/" target="_blank">Z-Day</a> event on Sunday, March 17th, between 1:30 and 4:30, at the <a href="http://www.edinburg.lib.tx.us/" target="_blank">Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library</a> in Edinburg, TX. Our event will focus on a screening and discussion of the ongoing web series&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/115150767437683808926" target="_blank">+Culture in Decline</a>, which examines major aspects and foundational assumptions of our culture and society. The major topics will include our dysfunctional economics, our corrupt political system, major value disorders and our propensity for war. While exposing these problems, we will also be exploring their potential solutions, rooted not in political or religious ideologies, but from a perspective that takes into account all people, and our technical ability to solve common human problems. We are excited to share this show with you, and engage in discussion about these and many other aspects of a culture in decline, and what we can do to help make it better for all people. We invite the public, and we hope to see you there!<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a-DoSKlodQQ/UTKnlWWgbII/AAAAAAAABRQ/h4UY7HlMLqM/s1600/ZDay2013Sopphey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a-DoSKlodQQ/UTKnlWWgbII/AAAAAAAABRQ/h4UY7HlMLqM/s400/ZDay2013Sopphey.jpg" width="341" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/104666061402994055687" target="_blank">+Sopphey Vance</a>&nbsp;for providing this beautiful flyer.</td></tr></tbody></table>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030403 -98.932394800000012 26.940119000000003 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-75821763135459560112013-03-02T18:58:00.000-06:002013-03-02T18:58:01.946-06:00Culture In Decline Episode 4 Now AvailableThe ongoing webseries <a href="http://www.cultureindecline.com/" target="_blank">Culture In Decline</a>, by <a href="http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/" target="_blank">Zeitgeist Movement</a> founder <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peter-Joseph-Official-/218838871486609" target="_blank">Peter Joseph</a>, has just released its fourth episode, entitled "War On Nature". As has been established by the series, this episode takes a closer look at the manifestation of war in a historical cultural context, and its continued and increasingly larger presence in society at large. It continues to be entertainingly irreverent and critically provocative as many common aspects of corporate media complicity and the generated propensity for conflict by the establishment is explored.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BFdf0lL3GFg?rel=0" width="560"></iframe> <br />The Culture in Decline series will be the focus of our annual <a href="http://www.zdayglobal.org/" target="_blank">Z-Day</a> event this year, as we continue to engage the public with information and media that challenges their assumptions and invites them to question their own beliefs. We will posting more about that event shortly.Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.28694780000000726.030403 -98.932394800000012 26.940119000000003 -97.6415008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-86173247617645676832013-02-16T16:41:00.001-06:002013-02-16T16:44:40.184-06:00Z-Day Event Planning MeetingThe Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movemebt is holding their Z-Day event planning meeting today, at 4pm at the UTPA campus. We will be meeting at the outdoor University Circle across from the cafeteria. We hope to see you there! Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg Edinburg26.302872 -98.181407tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-26729492095950396132012-10-06T22:17:00.000-05:002012-10-06T22:38:22.445-05:00TZM Exclusive: "A Tragedy of Circumstance"<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peter-Joseph-Official-/218838871486609" target="_blank">Peter Joseph</a>, founder of the <a href="http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/" target="_blank">Zeitgeist Movement</a>, has issued a press release detailing the unfortunate situation regarding two people who are victims of circumstance. It is a detailed look at the history of the United States' interference and criminal conduct in the Middle East, and focuses on the situation of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and&nbsp;Orly Weinerman, both of whom are now struggling to free themselves from their current predicament. Miss Weinerman has appealed to the Zeitgeist Movement for assistance. Below is that appeal.<br /><br /><br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br /><br />&gt;<br />To jump to the Petition in Question: Click Here for Petition<br /><a href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/surrender-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-to-the-icc/">http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/surrender-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-to-the-icc/</a><br />&gt;<br /><br />TZM Exclusive : A Tragedy of Circumstance<br />by Peter Joseph<br /><br />-Love Story:<br />The love story - A staple of our history and culture. As much as<br />modern economic theory and the dubious claims about our supposed<br />“Human Nature” would have us believe that all humans are merely<br />selfish organisms that would rather sacrifice each other than save<br />each other for the sake of mere convenience, the archetypal love story<br />prolific in our artwork challenges all - and reminds us of our deeply<br />empathic and social nature – a clear characteristic of our<br />evolutionary psychology and perhaps even the hidden saving grace of<br />our evolutionary fitness as a species.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />However, likely the most grand of all love stories in our history<br />might be the heartbreaking depiction found in Shakespeare's classic:<br />Romeo and Juliet. Among the many themes in this play is the taboo of<br />their love due to their feuding, enemy families and in their pressured<br />attempts to overcome - they meet a doleful, epic demise.<br /><br />The reaction of the audience to this tragic romance is fairly<br />predictable. Rarely does the sympathy of the reader turn to support<br />the families, which were at odds, while thinking that Romeo and Juliet<br />got what they deserved. Rather, we identify with the desperate, loving<br />couple whose lives are vanquished due to the circumstance they found<br />themselves in.<br /><br />At the core of this play, love story aside, is a broader concept we<br />will call the “Tragedy of Circumstance”. Perhaps the true<br />brilliance of this work is its hidden message of how each of us are<br />born into familial, cultural, political, religious and other<br />preexisting sociological “establishments” which, without our<br />choice in many ways, influence our thoughts, biases, loyalties,<br />ambitions, ideas, social affiliations and the like.<br /><br />In this sense, we are all victims, just like Romeo and Juliet, and<br />likely the most tragic part of all comes when these influences, once<br />given a human face or group association, clash with the influences of<br />other persons or groups – each side having no idea they are both<br />victims of circumstance in their ultimately vain opposition.<br /><br />-Miss Orly Weinerman:<br />In early September 2012 I was introduced to an Israeli actress named<br />Orly Weinerman through a friend involved in the Israeli Chapter of<br />“The Zeitgeist Movement”, a Global Sustainability Advocacy Group<br />seeking social reformation. A glamorous model as well, quite famous in<br />Israel and blessed with the prestige and comforts of her successful<br />career, she has recently taken a very bold position which many in her<br />home country and in the Western world might gawk in moral outrage.<br /><br />She wishes to see her now incarcerated love, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi,<br />son of the infamous, so called “Tyrant Dictator” Muammar Gaddafi,<br />be removed from his current Libyan rebel captors, who intend to try<br />him for war crimes, and brought to the International Criminal Court<br />instead for his pending trial. No proof has been given as to these<br />accusations and the ongoing postponement of the trial suggests the<br />opposition might be struggling to manifest such evidence.<br /><br />Here is her petition:<br /><a href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/surrender-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-to-the-icc">http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/surrender-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-to-the-icc</a><br /><br />Since the fall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011, some of the now captive<br />Gaddafi family and loyalists face severe charges, many under the most<br />despised of distinctions: Crimes Against Humanity. Saif is currently<br />facing the death penalty in Libya, where he is, most notably, accused<br />of participating in the killing of civilian protesters during last<br />year’s Western backed coup d'état against his father. Weinerman's<br />concern is that Saif has no chance of a fair trial in the hands of the<br />new power establishment in Libya and also feels the nature of the<br />Western backed invasion was not for the interests of the Libyan people<br />but rather for geo-political and geo-economic advantage - a criminal<br />act.<br /><br />British Prime Minister David Cameron's notable public statement:<br />“We must not tolerate this regime using military force against its<br />own people”, was just one of many sound bites heard from US and UK<br />politicians as they worked with NATO to take out the Gaddafi regime<br />under the guise of a “humanitarian mandate”. The mainstream media<br />describes the Libyan Revolution as an organic rebellion originating<br />from an opposing group of citizens, often categorizing the event as<br />part of the mass protests and revolutions now known as the “Arab<br />Spring” uprisings that effected Tunisia, Egypt and many others.<br />However, a closer look at the rapid dethroning of the Gaddafi regime<br />starts to take a different picture – a picture all too familiar to<br />those who have had the sad fortune of following the history of covert<br />warfare coming from Western powers and their economic interests.<br /><br />-A History Lesson:<br />In the past 70 years, the idea of using the facade of civil uprisings<br />to execute Geo-Economic/Politic reformations favorable to Western<br />economic interests has become increasingly more common. We know this<br />not only because of the now declassified CIA documents that boast of<br />such measures - such as the overthrow of the democratically elected<br />Iranian leader Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953 which returned commercial<br />power to Western oil interests as a response to the unwanted<br />nationalization of Iranian oil fields by Mosaddegh prior - we also<br />have the testimony of whistleblowers, such as famed “Economic Hit<br />Man” John Perkins, who has admitted in great detail as to his<br />involvement in such affairs in Latin America.<br /><br />Another little known yet declassified example of a CIA sponsored<br />overthrow for corporate and financial interests was the 1954 coup<br />d'état that ousted President Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán of Guatemala. The<br />United States engineered this for the benefit of the United Fruit<br />Company which had been lobbying the CIA to oust reformist governments<br />in the Republic of Guatemala for years prior to secure its commercial<br />interests. Similar CIA behavior can also be linked in one variation or<br />another to the overthrows and/or assassinations of Ecuador's Jaime<br />Roldós Aguilera in 1981 due to energy interests; Panama's Omar<br />Torrijos also in 1981, due to conflicts over the Panama Canal (a key<br />conduit for international maritime trade), along with perhaps the most<br />interesting recent example - the failed 2002 coup d'état against<br />President Hugo Chávez in Venezuela.<br /><br />As detailed by journalist Eva Golinger who obtained top-secret<br />documents from the CIA and State Department through the Freedom of<br />Information Act (FOIA), the United States' Bush administration had<br />prior knowledge of and was complicit in the 2002 coup against<br />President Hugo Chávez and had apparently provided over $30 million in<br />funding aid to opposition groups to help execute the public uprising<br />against him. Why? Oil Interests.<br /><br />Not to say it is a new thing for CIA to covertly arm rebel forces in<br />other countries as they try to remove the power structure, as can be<br />exemplified from Afghanistan to Cuba to Iraq to Argentina to Honduras<br />to many, many other cases – but the recipe for the covert war that<br />doesn't cause public outcry within the invading nation, without<br />serious military commitment, is a special circumstance.<br /><br />The basic requirement is an initial, ideally organic public<br />rebellion. From there, the task is to fuel the conflict and escalate<br />destabilization which serves as a cover for covert moves. Public<br />perception can be exploited with the conflict artificially magnified<br />by the media. Then, some type of knee-jerk accusation that draws<br />public sympathy is needed to generate acute disdain for the targeted<br />parties and enable follow through.<br /><br />For example, before the 1991 invasion of Iraq, a 15-year-old Kuwaiti<br />girl gave public testimony stating she watched Iraqi soldiers “come<br />into the hospital with guns and go into the room where...babies were<br />in incubators. They took the babies out of the incubators, took the<br />incubators, and left the babies on the cold floor to die.” This<br />testimony was repeated as fact in further Congressional Testimony, on<br />TV and radio shows, at the UN Security Council and even by then<br />President George H.W. Bush. It had a clearly relevant effect on public<br />opinion and support for the 1991 invasion. However, what was not<br />discussed, was that this 15-year-old Kuwaiti girl was a member of the<br />Kuwaiti Royal Family. Her father was Saud Nasir al-Sabah, Kuwait's<br />Ambassador to the USA and her entire testimony was a lie. Again, this<br />is public record.<br /><br />-Libya Decoded:<br />So what is the story with Libya? Does it fit any of these profiles?<br />Were the US &amp; UK simply being good parents and working to<br />altruistically protect humanity from some rouge tyrant or is there<br />something else going on? Is there evidence to show they were complicit<br />in the uprising, exploiting mass sympathy by some event, while holding<br />deep ulterior motives to serve their financial and political<br />interests? Yes. In fact, the event appears to be just about as<br />textbook as the case was with Mosaddegh in 1954 and Chavez in 2002.<br /><br />First, let's start with the state of affairs. If you are like most<br />Westerners, you have likely never met anyone from Libya nor do you<br />know anything about it other than that odd looking man with the funky<br />sunglasses who had been in charge for 40 some years. The idea of<br />autocratic rule is deeply opposed in the West and perhaps that is a<br />legitimate concern given the patterns of history in general. However,<br />let's leave our ideologies aside and ask about the relative state of<br />the culture before the uprising and invasion.<br /><br />In 2010, Libya ranked 53rd on the Human Development Index (out of 170<br />U.N. member states), making it a “high human development” country.<br />The U.N. Development Program said Libya had “high human<br />development” in every major index category, including education,<br />empowerment, economy and infrastructure, access to information, civic<br />and community well being, and gender inequality. In a 2005 Country<br />Profile report by the Library of Congress’ Federal Research<br />Division, it noted: “In comparison to other states in the Middle<br />East, the health status of the population is relatively good.<br />Childhood immunization is almost universal. The clean water supply has<br />increased, and sanitation has been improved.”<br /><br />As far as accusations of terrorism or weapons of mass destruction, it<br />also stated: “During the period 1999–2003, Qadhafi, ever the<br />pragmatist, eventually fulfilled all the terms of the UN Security<br />Council Resolutions required to lift the sanctions against Libya. He<br />accepted responsibility for the actions of his officials and agreed to<br />provide financial compensation to the families of the victims of Pan<br />Am 103. As a result, the UN sanctions were lifted on September 12,<br />2003. In December 2003, Qadhafi publicly announced that Libya was<br />ridding itself of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile<br />development programs, and fully cooperated with the United States, the<br />United Kingdom, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the<br />Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Through these<br />actions and decisions, Qadhafi brought Libya back into the world<br />community.”<br /><br />Any general research on Libya shows that it was improving and stable<br />and while accusations of social oppression and misdeeds might hold<br />true on some level, as with many countries in that region, we need to<br />be honest with ourselves and consider the realistic nature of the<br />circumstance in comparison. If we were to examine all the oppressive<br />regimes the United States and United Kingdom coexist with without<br />objection, Libya was far from the worst and it wasn't until the 2011<br />uprising that the accusation of Libya using force against its own<br />citizens become a heated claim for intervention.<br /><br />If the Western powers cared about the humanitarian crisis in Africa<br />or the Middle-East, both general and oppressive, forces would have<br />taken control of the Sudan long ago, where the genocide and barbarian<br />abuses are almost beyond comprehension, not to mention intervene to<br />end the virtual prison still existing in the West Bank due to the<br />illegal, US sponsored Israeli occupation. This list could go on and on<br />and the bottom line is that the very idea that the West “cares”<br />about the citizenry of any such country to inspire such intervention<br />is enormously naive and completely ignorant of history.<br /><br />The central “war crime” accusation itself, which gives the<br />appearance that Gaddafi forces just decided to start killing civilian<br />protestors for fun, is void of its true context, which was a response<br />to an armed conflict from rebel forces. Does this justify the death of<br />human beings? Of course not but this is an issue of circumstance. If<br />an armed militia began to make its way towards the White House, do you<br />have any doubt that once the first shot was fired, the Police,<br />Military and Secret Service would not hesitate to shoot anyone in<br />their line of fire under such pressure? Again, this justifies nothing<br />in and of itself but such is the nature of circumstance in the<br />discordant, power sick zeitgeist we share today and the “Crimes<br />Against Humanity” charges being propagated around the now fallen<br />regime needs a much closer examination.<br /><br />The central charge against Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who actually didn't<br />hold any political office, is this claim of “civilian murder”,<br />which appears as an act of defense, not cold blooded execution that<br />would define a “war crime”. It is estimated that the United States<br />and its allies are responsible for ¾ to a million civilian deaths in<br />Iraq and likely 10s of thousands more during the prior UN sanctions<br />that crippled the nation for many years prior - yet we see no one on<br />trial here. Let’s also not discount the score of civilian deaths<br />achieved by NATO as it bombed Libya for months.<br /><br />-Currency Wars:<br />Have you ever wondered how the United States can operate with 16<br />trillion dollars in debt and growing? It has the Global Reserve<br />Currency. Of all the Macro Economic factors that favor Western<br />domination in the world today, the fact the Euro and the US Dollar are<br />used for not only the majority of oil transactions, which in many ways<br />serves as the virtual “backing” of these fiat currencies, many<br />other major goods are priced in Dollars and Euros, requiring most<br />nations to purchase these currencies in order to engage in global<br />trade, maintaining demand.<br /><br />In fact, approximately two thirds of world trade is done in dollars<br />and two thirds of central banks' currency reserves are held in the<br />American currency, which remains the sole currency used by global<br />institutions such as the IMF. This gives the US a major economic<br />advantage as they have the ability to run a constant trade deficit<br />because foreign countries need those dollars to repay their debts to<br />the IMF; to conduct international trade and to build up their currency<br />reserves. As long as the dollar remains the main international<br />currency, the US can continue consuming more than it produces, as it<br />has been doing for decades now.<br /><br />Well, guess what? Muammar Gaddafi had been openly advocating the<br />creation of a new currency that would counter the dollar and the euro.<br />He called upon African and Muslim nations to join an alliance that<br />would make this new currency, the “Gold Dinar”, their main<br />currency. They would sell oil and other resources to the US and the<br />rest of the world only for gold dinars. If this were to happen, it<br />would have had dramatic effects on US economic hegemony. In fact, some<br />might remember that Saddam Hussein was pushing for a similar<br />petrodollar shift before the 2003 US Invasion. This is a very serious<br />yet little discussed reality.<br /><br />That noted, we shouldn't dismiss the energy interests even though<br />they may be secondary in importance. The National Oil Corporation,<br />Libya’s nationalized oil company, was ranked 25 among the world's<br />Top 100 oil companies and while its reserves might be minor compared<br />to the reserves of Saudi Arabia, the liberating of previously<br />off-limit business contracts is clearly a positive for the West.<br /><br />-NATO Intervention:<br />The Libyan “rebel” forces that took to the street in February<br />2011 were depicted by the media and Western political commentary as an<br />unexpected organic uprising mirroring the Arab Spring revolts nearby.<br />Yet, a closer examination reveals a deep premeditation and clear<br />connection to CIA involvement. Former Gaddafi army commander, Khalifa<br />Haftar, who had been living in exile for 20 years essentially next to<br />CIA headquarters in Virginia, with tremendous evidence to indicate<br />ties to the agency, was quickly brought to Libya after the uprising<br />and put into position as commander for the rebel forces. How<br />convenient.<br /><br />All that was left was a trigger for intervention and it wasn’t long<br />before Libya fought back against what could very well have been a<br />mercenary group set in motion to enable a larger mobilization against<br />Gaddafi. This violence was quickly emphasized and set the stage for<br />the so called “Humanitarian Intervention” less than 2 weeks after<br />with “Resolution 1973” from the UN Security Council. Quickly and<br />semi-covertly, the US began to add more arms to the rebels. Something,<br />again, they have done in so many other cases to secure their<br />interests, such as with the tens of millions of dollars going to<br />anti-Soviet Afghan rebels for the 1980's Afghanistan War.<br /><br />This is the earmark. The earmark that links dozens of US covert<br />interventions in the past 100 years and there is even evidence the US<br />has been funding opposition groups in Iran, if not many other places<br />in this turbulent world we see rising. It's a great strategy - low<br />budget; mostly hidden from the general public – and completely<br />against international law.<br /><br />And once the fireworks started with NATO, there was no turning back -<br />another coup d'état success. Today Libya is a fragmented and<br />destabilized terrain. Apparently is it now a “Democracy” for<br />whatever that is really worth since it is looking more like another<br />post-war Iraq than anything else and it will likely be a long time<br />before progress is achieved.<br /><br />-Saving Face:<br />Now coming back to our “Love Story”, there is little that can be<br />done now with respect to the irresponsible overthrow of Libya but<br />perhaps a little poetic sensitivity could heal these global wounds in<br />some small way... So let's return to Ms. Weinerman's struggle to save<br />someone dear to her - someone who might be deeply misunderstood –<br />Muammar's son: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.<br /><br />Today, she has not only spoken out in praise of Saif's moral<br />character, interest to reform Libya into a true democracy, defiance of<br />his father on many issues regarding needed change and equality, she<br />has also publicly implored Saif's known associate and long time<br />friend, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, to intervene. She is also<br />working to petition for his release from the Libyan successors – an<br />effort the reader is encouraged to review and hopefully participate<br />in:<br /><a href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/surrender-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-to-the-icc">http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/surrender-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-to-the-icc</a><br /><br />Since that time she has been criticized and even targeted for<br />criminal wrong-doing by political powers in her home country, such as<br />by a member of the National Union Party who wrote to the attorney<br />general that she was involved with a ‘terrorist’ who wanted to<br />‘destroy the Jewish people’, as reported by The Times of Israel.<br /><br />A fascinating circumstance indeed. Geo-Politics, warfare and<br />corruption aside, their very relationship challenges some common<br />taboos all too common in the world today. In the story of Romeo and<br />Juliet the tragedy of circumstance rested mostly with a disruption of<br />traditional loyalty to the feuding families. In this story, there is a<br />disruption of loyalty across multiple cultural lines.<br /><br />First, we have the Nationalist disruption: If the state of Israel is<br />against another state and vice versa, the implication is that citizens<br />of that state must also be opposed. Second, we have the Religious<br />disruption: Ms. Weinerman of the Jewish faith and Saif of the Muslim<br />faith, which, unlike other combinations, is particularly rare. Third,<br />we have the Race disruption, which is a corollary to the Nationalist<br />loyalty, and while less relevant today in general, is still notable<br />given the deep racial tension still existing in the Middle East; and<br />fourth we have what we will call the Disruption of Associated Bias<br />which, in this case, is the prima facie assumption that Saif, who,<br />again, never officially held political office and has yet to be named<br />in any documents for such criminal evidence, is still to be associated<br />with the alleged crimes of his father.<br /><br />That determination, of course, is the role and importance of the fair<br />trial to which Ms. Weinerman pursues. This Bias of Association is a<br />powerful influence of perspective and to expect a fair trial from what<br />is to be, in effect, a court run by the ”rebel opposition” in<br />Libya, might be wishful thinking.<br /><br />-Interview:<br />Below is an exclusive interview with Ms.Weinerman:<br /><br />Question: Please briefly discuss your upbringing, especially given<br />the context of tension in your homeland, Israel; in the Middle East.<br /><br />O.W.: “I was born in Tel Aviv to a pianist mother and an engineer<br />father who specializes in the field of renewable energy. I’ve been<br />acting and modeling since I was a child and as a teenager I already<br />started being socially and politically involved. However, activism<br />wasn’t something I picked up at home but was rather my natural<br />response to all the wrongdoings I witnessed growing up. Spending 3<br />years in South Africa during the apartheid years in the mid 1980’s,<br />between the ages of 13-16, shaped the way I view the world today.<br /><br />I was constantly asking questions about the human inequality and<br />neglect that I saw around me, rather than accept it as “natural”<br />or “normal”. I’ve always been a social activist in Israel with a<br />special interest in human rights, especially around the<br />Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I worked with “B’tselem”- a<br />non-governmental non-profit organization promoting human rights in the<br />occupied territories. I worked in fundraising for “Alon”- an<br />association dedicated to bridging social gaps through education, and<br />am currently working in fundraising for Israeli Flying Aid. It has<br />always been important to me to use my “celebrity” and my<br />connections for a greater cause.”<br /><br />Question: Please describe your impression and experience with Saif.<br /><br />O.W.: “Saif is the best person I’ve ever known. He’s a warm,<br />kind, friendly, open-minded, peaceful, calm and loving man. A real<br />gentleman and pure hearted. He is honest and that’s something<br />admirable in a time like ours. Saif’s vision was to turn Libya into<br />a modern society and he did the best within his power to help the<br />Libyan people. He brought reforms to his country and had so many more<br />ideas of reforms to bring about. Saif had an agenda for promoting<br />human rights not only in his country but in the international<br />community as well. He worked on a roadmap for peace in Cashmere,<br />amongst other human rights projects and charities he was involved in.<br />He was the one to convince his father to give up his program for<br />weapons of mass destruction.<br /><br />Saif has always been very popular amongst the people of his country,<br />and especially loved by the younger generation there. He used to meet<br />with the people directly in the city square every week and talk to<br />them without the protection of any guards. He was always challenging<br />and even openly criticizing his father’s regime. He even set up a<br />free media organization that his father kept shutting down, so he had<br />to keep relocating it, from Libya, to Jordan, to London, etc.<br /><br />He was also popular outside his country; he was the one connecting<br />Libya to the west in his efforts to open his country to the world and<br />bring balance and peace to his region. He had a good relationship with<br />the west, especially England, to the extent that he was titled<br />“Europe’s darling”, before the west (mainly the US, France and<br />the UK) decided to invade his country for corporate profit. Then, all<br />of a sudden, they started to portray him very differently, in order to<br />manipulate public opinion to legitimize their acts.<br /><br />The accusations made against him sound even more unbelievable, when<br />you consider he wasn’t even a part of the regime, he had no<br />political or military position in the time of the war. If there were<br />any concrete evidence against him- be sure we would be bombarded with<br />it, brainwashed with it in the mainstream media. It’s very<br />convenient for the west to leave him<br />there to silence the facts &amp; hide the evidence. The sad truth is that<br />they turned their back on him once they had taken over the country and<br />its resources and they don’t need him anymore.<br /><br />Question: Please explain the Petition<br />(Click Here for Petition)<br /><a href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/surrender-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-to-the-icc/">http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/surrender-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-to-the-icc/</a><br /><br />you are pushing and why you feel Saif must to be removed from Libya<br />in order to achieve a fair trial?<br /><br />O.W.: “Firstly, the underlying meaning of this petition, or every<br />other petition, really, is the people’s understanding that we need<br />to empower ourselves, unite and take responsibility for the affairs of<br />our world, because justice will not be served by the powers that be. I<br />think there is a growing understanding that we can’t let the super<br />powers lead our world anymore, as we found they are immoral in their<br />deeds. Using the people’s ignorance to fool them with cheap<br />propaganda, the powers that be allow themselves, on our behalf (the<br />international community), to harm the innocent &amp; portray their victims<br />as “evil”.<br /><br />Specifically, the same Security Council that had passed a resolution<br />allowing the NATO forces to intervene in the Libya conflict has also<br />passed a resolution giving the International Criminal Court a<br />jurisdiction over crimes committed during the conflict. It is obvious<br />that the so-called “justice system” of the current Libyan<br />administration is unable to conduct a fair trial which will ensure<br />basic human rights and due process.<br /><br />Therefore, in accordance with its resolution &amp; the importance of true<br />justice, the security council &amp; every member state within it has a<br />moral interest, responsibility, and obligation to bring Saif to<br />justice before the ICC, where he can receive a fair trial before a<br />competent court. Moreover, the fact that Saif was captured during an<br />armed conflict makes him a prisoner of war, and therefore he is<br />entitled to the full legal protection declared by the Geneva<br />Convention, which includes visits from the Red Cross or the Red<br />Crescent representatives, but he has been held incommunicado and no<br />information about his captive conditions or his health condition has<br />been provided.<br /><br />We can’t go on looking the other way or shutting our mouths about<br />these violations of human rights sponsored by USA, France, England and<br />their corporations. Somebody must be gaining something out of all of<br />this... and those ones should be the ones to be put on trial.”<br /><br />Question: Do you feel Tony Blair is avoiding intervention due to his<br />need to preserve his political persona? If you had anything to say to<br />him directly, in person, what would it be?<br /><br />O.W.: “It’s no secret that Saif and Mr. Blair were good friends,<br />have worked together and Mr. Blair has even helped Saif with his PHD.<br />I do believe Mr. Blair is not doing or saying anything not because he<br />thinks Saif deserves anything he’s been going through, or that he<br />should have an unfair trial before an incompetent court. But that his<br />silence and his inactivity about the injustice that Saif is dealing<br />with comes from fear of losing his own position and more than that, he<br />is probably threatened that if he says or does anything about the<br />matter, he will be punished by people and entities that don’t want<br />anything done to change this horrible policy of silencing the truth<br />about western corporate crime in the international arena.<br /><br />Mr. Blair and other high-profile influential politicians and<br />corporate businessmen that were good friends with Saif, have now<br />renounced him as it’s no longer in their interest, they now have<br />free access to all they needed from him. If I was to meet Mr. Blair, I<br />would ask him if everything that he has, position-wise,<br />materialistic-wise, is worth giving up the values of being human, and<br />that means being loyal to your friends, not letting them be victims of<br />propaganda intended to wash off other people’s sins. As a Christian<br />man he should help his friend and speak the truth.<br /><br />All we have in our lives is our word, and a man who doesn’t live<br />telling the truth, speaking out what he knows, has nothing, for our<br />property in this life is nothing. Not even our bodies. When we leave<br />this world we take nothing with us, and the only thing that will be<br />left of us is our good words, good deeds and the influence they will<br />keep on making long after we are gone.”<br /><br />Question: In the course of this mission you have reached out to The<br />Zeitgeist Movement, a Global Sustainability Advocacy group interested<br />in declaring all the world's resources as common heritage for all the<br />world's people and works with new economic ideas to unify humanity and<br />improve conditions. Why do you feel this audience might well<br />understand your circumstance? Do you identify with such broad cultural<br />changes?<br /><br />O.W: “Of course. The people who are now in control of the world’s<br />wealth, and therefore control the rest of the population (through the<br />use of the monetary system and the state system) are being cruel &amp;<br />thoughtless in their actions, seeing the entire world as their own<br />playground back yard. They do not show any regard to the way our<br />economy is destroying our planet, as if we have more than one, or as<br />if there would be no one left to live here after them. However, I do<br />not accuse them of being “evil” but I see them as victims of their<br />own disproportionate power.<br /><br />I agree with The Zeitgeist Movement’s understanding that a new<br />system that will allow us a more open-source, “flat” way of<br />managing our affairs on this planet, is the only way to build a more<br />humane and environmentally responsible society, and I think that now,<br />for the first time in history, we have the technology that can enable<br />us to do just that.”<br /><br />-Hope:<br /><br />In many ways, what is done is done and Libya will never be the same.<br />We can speculate upon its future and even try to be optimistic that it<br />will recover and maybe even progress to a level never known before.<br />Yet, that doesn’t change history and the Means never justifies the<br />End. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi is still in prison and awaiting a trial<br />that may decide if he is to live or die. He also sits in a symbolic<br />position in many ways as the corruption inherent to the Libyan<br />invasion has yet to find an end and the outcome of Saif sets the tone<br />for what we as a people are willing to tolerate within the criminal<br />meltdown of power abuse so common on the tragic global stage today.<br /><br />Orly Weinerman’s plead works on many levels. We can’t return the<br />many lives taken when NATO blanketed bombs over Libya nor can we bring<br />Colonel Muammar Gaddafi back so he can face a trial to determine the<br />legitimacy of the accusations against him. However, we can reduce<br />ourselves to the recognition of one shared mortal reality and that is<br />that we are all human and our personal relationships can transcend the<br />circumstantial baggage and cultural victimizations that seem to divide<br />us in the broad view. The saving of just one life in this play might<br />be the key to shift it from tragedy to redemption.<br /><br />What if we as a species were able elevate to ourselves outside the<br />ongoing Tragedy of Thought we all to often find our values and<br />loyalties. What if we were to show compassion for a man who just might<br />have been trying to change an outdated regime from the inside, but was<br />not given enough time to do so and was taken down prematurely by a<br />criminal mafia that has no concern for the well being of the state of<br />Libya.<br /><br />What if our loyalist illusions of “peace keeping”, “protecting<br />civilians” and other clearly hypocritical and false claims used to<br />justify the overtaking of other societies recently by the Western<br />powers, [ <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuqZfaj34nc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuqZfaj34nc</a> ] were seen for<br />what they were? How would that affect your sense of responsibility?<br /><br />And most broadly, what if our loyalty to retribution and the<br />reciprocated hatred of each other's misdeeds was relinquished and<br />replaced by a more rational understanding of how we are all Victims of<br />Circumstance - Victims of Culture - involved in a seemingly never<br />ending play of tragic proportions where we harm those who harm us or<br />our loyalties – all justified under the guise of an ideological<br />perversion of “Justice” itself.<br /><br />All human actions are consequences of conditions, past or present,<br />and it is only when we shed the primitive, narrow loyalties to our<br />ancient traditions of Nation, Religion, Race &amp; Circumstance that we<br />will likely see that the only loyalty we can possibly have is to truth<br />and each other - as one species, sharing one habitat.<br /><br />If you wish to support Ms. Weinerman's mission to protect another<br />human being from this Tragedy of Circumstance, creating instead a<br />Triumph of Dignity, here is her petition. Click Here for Petition<br /><a href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/surrender-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-to-the-icc/">http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/surrender-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-to-the-icc/</a>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX, USA26.3017374 -98.163343226.1880359 -98.3212717 26.4154389 -98.0054147tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-70510923679810500212012-07-30T18:33:00.000-05:002012-07-30T18:43:30.981-05:00Zeitgeist Media Festival FlyersOur good friend <a href="https://twitter.com/sopphey">Sopphey</a> from the <a href="http://occupymcallen.org/">OccupyMcallen</a> movement has created some wonderful fliers for our upcoming <a href="http://www.zeitgeistmediafestival.org/">Zeitgeist Media Festival</a> on Saturday. Please share them with friends and family and invite them to the event!<br /><br /><br /><iframe class="imgur-album" frameborder="0" height="550" src="http://imgur.com/a/KVFd0/embed" width="100%"></iframe>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.286947826.257869000000003 -98.602804799999987 26.712653 -97.9710908tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-74347723091280353912012-07-30T01:48:00.000-05:002012-07-30T01:49:05.472-05:00A New Reality Show: Culture In Decline<a href="http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/">Zeitgeist film series</a> creator and <a href="http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/">Zeitgeist Movement</a> founder Peter Joseph is currently producing a new video series titled <a href="http://www.cultureindecline.com/">Culture In Decline</a>. The first episode, titled "What Democracy?" was recently released, and examines the nature and underlying myths of democratic government in the context of a monetary system and dominance seeking society. Viewers of the Zeitgeist film series will notice many of the same themes, references and lines of thought in this episode, but with a narrower focus on the farce that is democracy. Featuring live action skits and on the street interviews, this episode, and likely the series, will provide for a much more digestible format for the average viewer that delivers critical information, analysis and satire. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with those who might otherwise not be able to watch a feature length documentary all at once. I, personally, am looking forward to future shows. Thank you for your time and attention, and I hope to see you at our upcoming Zeitgeist Media Festival event on Saturday!<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bTbLslkIR2k?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.286947826.257869000000003 -98.602804799999987 26.712653 -97.9710908tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-77518846021993971382012-07-08T01:11:00.000-05:002012-07-08T01:26:10.694-05:00Planning Our Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement Media FestivalThe global <a href="http://www.zeitgeistmediafestival.org/" target="_blank">Zeitgeist Media Festival</a> event is approaching fast, and we are planning and preparing our event right here in the Rio Grande Valley. The Zeitgeist Media Festival is a celebration of art, music, advocacy and communication. We want to use the power of art and expression to help make the world a better place for all people. We are working with local performers, artists, poets and organizations to help spread a message to our community in a way that more formal settings are generally unable to. In addition to our message, we want to encourage giving back to our community by asking attendees to donate non-perishable food items to local groups like the <a href="http://www.foodbankrgv.com/" target="_blank">Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley</a> and the local chapter of <a href="http://www.foodnotbombs.net/" target="_blank">Food Not Bombs</a>. While we recognize that we cannot rely upon charity to resolve the root problems, we do recognize the need to reduce what suffering we can while we can.<br /><br />If you would like to help us organize and plan this event, participate or volunteer in any way, please <a href="mailto:rgvzgm@gmail.com">contact us</a>, and we will be happy to have your assistance. Thank you for your time and attention, and for joining us in our effort to help make the world a better place for all people.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/319208044837454/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="RGVZGM Media Festival" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xBAy5c3dhdk/T_kj_rTR3HI/AAAAAAAAA94/vo3WmDFknX4/s1600/ZMF+2012.jpg" title="Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement Media Festival" /></a></div><br />Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.286947826.257869000000003 -98.602804799999987 26.712653 -97.9710908tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-65767522366243620742012-05-25T00:35:00.000-05:002012-05-25T00:35:19.019-05:00Interview With Local RGV Pride WebsiteThe Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement was recently interviewed by the local website/blog <a href="http://rgvpride.com/">RGVPride.com</a>. We thank them for their interest, the opportunity to reach more local community members and their desire to help make the Rio Grande Valley and the world a better place to live for all people. We welcome all readers from their site and encourage you to contact us for more information about our ongoing efforts and the progress of the Global Movement. Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know how we can help you learn about these fascinating and important ideas.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rgvpride.com/Rio-Grade-Valley-Zeitgeist-Movement.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="57" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t4xJaim74BQ/T78ZRn6tgjI/AAAAAAAAA78/W__wA7fXGsU/s400/logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX, USA26.3017374 -98.163343226.1878599 -98.3212717 26.4156149 -98.0054147tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-29676840143944178702012-03-09T14:05:00.000-06:002012-03-09T14:05:16.345-06:00Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement Announces Z-Day EventThe Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement will hold their annual Z-Day event on Saturday, March 10th at South Texas College. The event will begin at noon, and will continue on until 8pm. We welcome the public to come and learn about the Zeitgeist Movement, a Resource Based Economy, and how start demanding a better world for all people.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oP3_ratmRPI/T1piPk4qLEI/AAAAAAAAA0M/apZxFMEbcvg/s1600/zday2012flyer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oP3_ratmRPI/T1piPk4qLEI/AAAAAAAAA0M/apZxFMEbcvg/s640/zday2012flyer.png" width="456" /></a></div><br />Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.286947826.257869000000003 -98.602804799999987 26.712653 -97.9710908tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-50501828378222749412012-03-02T00:30:00.000-06:002012-03-02T00:30:02.912-06:0030 Days of Zeitgeist - Day 22Technology Entertainment Design, or <a href="http://www.ted.com/">TED</a>, is an organization that brings together interesting people from all over the world, and allows them to present ideas, experiences and performances with those who can afford to attend. In recent years, they have been posting the videos of these presentations online for all to see. Just this week, two different presentations were made at this year's event that both talk about the possibilities of an abundance based future, and the inevitable collapse of our current social and economic structures. One video appeals to optimism, to historical and technological trends, the growing efficiency of production and resource extraction and many positive developments made in recent months and years. The other video depicts a dark future, filled with chaos, depression, collapse and death. It recognizes that the current trajectory of humanity is headed towards global catastrophe, and will likely bring with it great upheaval and change, and that many people will suffer while going through it. While many people see these two presentations as diametrically opposed, many in the Zeitgeist Movement would recognize the common truth of both messages. If humanity is going to survive for any significant length of time, we will have to both change our current methods of organizing society, and develop the technologies necessary to produce access abundance. The TED presentation archives are filled with amazing and compelling videos, and I encourage you to search through their catalog to find something of interest to you, and begin to learn more about the world in which we live, and how we can all help make it better for all people.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BltRufe5kkI?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DZT6YpCsapg?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.286947826.257869000000003 -98.602804799999987 26.712653 -97.9710908tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-90548428980948713712012-03-01T00:30:00.000-06:002012-03-01T00:30:00.461-06:0030 Days of Zeitgeist - Day 21The <a href="http://zbnlive.com/">Zeitgeist Broadcasting Network</a>&nbsp;streams original programming, relevant media and live events relating to the Zeitgeist Movement and a Resource Based Economy. Yesterday, ZBN live streamed the <a href="http://www.ted.com/tedx/events/4573">TEDx Ojai</a> event in California, an event that featured both a live lecture given by Peter Joseph and a video presentation given by Jacque Fresco of the Venus Project. There was also a live musical performance and a presentation on innovative building technologies. These presentations will be available for download some time in the future, but stay tuned to ZBN for ongoing shows and videos, and future events!<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.zbnlive.com" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="45" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H40sCVeXwwY/T08TZk8UlFI/AAAAAAAAAz0/qNXnlL5wlhU/s400/zbnlogo.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.286947826.257869000000003 -98.602804799999987 26.712653 -97.9710908tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-68912081323026500192012-02-29T00:30:00.000-06:002012-02-29T00:30:00.950-06:0030 Days of Zeitgeist - Day 20Over the past decade, he internet has radically changed how people find, connect, communicate and collaborate with&nbsp;each other. The rapid rate of social movement awareness and adoption is directly attributable to the ability to instantaneously share information across town and around the world. Live video streams of protests and popular breakthrough film series like Zeitgeist would not be possible without the technological engineering feats of the infrastructure that is the world wide web. Social media sites and services, such as Twitter, Facebook and Google products, are increasingly vital to the rapid development and planning for these various causes, however, and that concentration of resources is causing them to become targets for the powerful and influential. Facebook, as a corporation, has recently gone public, opening themselves up to investor influence, pressuring them to further monetize their&nbsp;user-base, causing potential privacy issues with users of the site. Twitter recently altered their censorship policies to be in line with various governmental demands to censor undesirable information. Google's YouTube and search services have also been subject to government restrictions around the world, making it harder to share and find pertinent information. PayPal, the global payment processor that many organizations use to accept donations also has a long and growing history of abusing their powerful position by freezing assets, closing accounts and even refusing to accept donations on behalf of certain groups, like WikiLeaks, because of government pressure. Fortunately, all of these sites and services have alternatives, many of which are open source, non-corporate owned, and not adherent to arbitrary government opinion. The <a href="http://tzmnetwork.com/">TZMNetwork</a> is a social networking site for Zeitgeist Movement activists, and has recently undergone major renovation. <a href="http://occupii.org/">Occupii</a> is a similar site, mainly for Occupy Movement activists. The <a href="http://diasporaproject.org/">Diaspora*</a> project is a general use social network that is based on an open source platform. <a href="http://bitcoin.org/">Bitcoin</a> is a digital currency that is not based on debt, not controlled by a government or corporate interest, and is open source, so anyone can use it. All of these, and more, are being continuously updated and improved upon by volunteers, who are working together for a better world for all people.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://tzmnetwork.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="44" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fDI2HdRQZVw/T02cx6fBVaI/AAAAAAAAAzY/5ikJGNZIHDg/s200/tzmnetworklogo.png" width="200" /></a><a href="http://occupii.org/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="35" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gLbSSWZOo8E/T02c1WozbLI/AAAAAAAAAzo/1DfCaFkhwrc/s200/occupiilogo.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://diasporaproject.org/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://bitcoin.org/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="26" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v3QugEYyfUc/T02c1MPkQCI/AAAAAAAAAzg/H3G_w2BEO-E/s200/bitcoinlogo.png" width="200" /></a><img border="0" height="76" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PIKV1aLZDNA/T02cxmj9_JI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/4ESve9LLEho/s200/diasporalogo.png" width="200" /></div><br />Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.286947826.257869000000003 -98.602804799999987 26.712653 -97.9710908tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4643050137781217957.post-29089297150579442082012-02-28T00:30:00.000-06:002012-02-28T00:30:00.460-06:0030 Days of Zeitgeist - Day 19Several months ago, the Zeitgeist Movement held the <a href="http://zeitgeistmediafestival.org/">Zeitgeist Media Festival</a>, a global artistic expression and live performance focused event that worked with local food banks and other charitable organizations. It served to both bring awareness to the movement, reach out to the local community via local food charities and to celebrate the arts and media that help support the cause of a better world for all people. The main site for the event hosts videos of many of the performances, and will be updated with more content as more such annual events are planned. The Rio Grande Valley is home to many local artists and performers, and we look forward to hosting such an event and being able to host this incredible local talent, while hopefully working with the <a href="http://www.foodbankrgv.com/">RGV Food Bank</a> as well as the local chapter of <a href="http://www.foodnotbombs.net/texas.html">Food Not Bombs</a>. Keep watching this space for more news!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://zeitgeistmediafestival.org/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E-QaA1gyrck/T0xkzjZxRPI/AAAAAAAAAzE/wLqj9QFctyc/s400/zmflogo.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br />Frank Floreshttps://plus.google.com/113240403624044021859noreply@blogger.com0Edinburg, TX 78541, USA26.485261 -98.286947826.257869000000003 -98.602804799999987 26.712653 -97.9710908